Joe Dexter (1965)

George Martin is Joe Dexter, aka Nevada Joe, who rides into the town of Golden Hill and immediately finds cause to show off his skills with a six-shooter.

A bully named Colvert kills a mine foreman with a bullet to the back. So Dexter challenges the man and wins a gun duel in the middle of a crowded saloon.

That’s enough for the quickly smitten saloon owner Mary Blue (Katie Loritz) to decide she wouldn’t mind having Joe around for protection at least. And perhaps for a lot more.

After Dexter shoots his way out of more trouble the next morning, he finds himself with another job offer from high-spirited mine owner Julia Brooks (Adriana Ambesi).

She’s running her late father’s business; 157 men work for her. She’s good at giving orders. And so used to doing so, that Dexter balks at that job offer.

But Julia’s also a mine owner in trouble. Gold dust is being traded for drinks and girls, and it doesn’t take Dexter long to realize Julia’s workers are stealing from her.

There’s a bigger problem too. Her gold shipments keep getting attacked.

And Dexter can’t help but wonder if that’s because she’s the only business owner around who won’t pay the high prices John Randolph charges to use his freight service.

George Martin as Joe Dexter, arriving in Golden Hill and finding two damsels in distress in Joe Dexter (1965)

Adriana Ambesi (Audrey Amber) as Julia Brooks, running a mine with 157 men on her payroll in Joe Dexter (1965)

Review:

This one plays just like a John Wayne film out of the 1940s, with Martin showing off his unique physique and problem-solving skills, and two strong-willed women vying for his services and his attention.

There’s not much suspense as to who the villain of the piece is. There’s more when it comes to which pair of pretty arms Martin will wind up in, since he’s constantly quarreling with both women, yet can’t quite seem to shake either.

Meanwhile, director Ignacio F. Iquino serves up plenty of action and fistfights, including one in which the saloon piano player bangs his key in time to the punches.

Katia Loritz as Mary Blue, the strong-willed sallon owner who falls for Joe Dexter in Joe Dexter (1965)

Miguel de la Riva as John Randolph, owner of a freight business in Joe Dexter (1965)

Directed by:
Ignacio F. Iquino

Cast:
George Martin … Nevada Joe Dexter
Katia Loritz … Mary Blue
Adriana Ambesi … Julia Brooks
as Audrey Amber
Miguel de la Riva … John Randolph
as Miguel de la Riba
Ramon Corroto … Otto Greer
Giuseppe Addobbati … Doc Parker
as John McDouglas
Gaspar “Indio” Gonzalez … Taylor
as Indio
Angel Lombare … Rick
Cesar Ojinaga … Colbert
as Cesar Nagan
Jose Manuel Pinilla … Pete Bailey
Juan Manuel Simon … Randolp henchman
as Jack M. Simon

Also with: Antonio Iranzo, Moises Augusto Rocha, Fernando Rubio, Enrigue Escobar, Eduardo Lizarza, Miquel Bordoy, Rosa Biadiu

Runtime: 89 min..

aka:
Oeste Nevada Joe
Guns of Nevada
Nevada Joe

Music: Enrique Escobar

Ramond Corroto as Otto Greer, Julia Brooks’ mining engineer in Joe Dexter (1965)

Giuseppe Addobbati (John McDouglas) marveling over Joe Dexter’s luck with the ladies in Joe Dexter (1965)

Memorable lines (from subtitles):

Joe Dexter, on why he goes as Nevada Joe: “I didn’t want my father’s name involved in any of my adventures.”

Joe Dexter, offering to buy his way out of a gunfight: “Guys, I have $500. They are yours if …
Mulligan brother: “Thanks for the information. We would have found it on your corpse anyway.”

Mary Blue, after Joe Dexter has gunned down two men in a gunfight: “From now on, I know I can find you wherever there is trouble.”
Joe Dexter: “That’s why I’m leaving. Your house would have so many bullet holes, one day it would fall on us.”

Joe Dexter, after Julia has been wounded: “Women are meant to stay home taking care of the children. They aren’t meant to fight.”
Julia Brooks: “If that’s all you had to say, you can leave now.”

Joe Dexter (George Martin) mends fences with Taylor (Gasper Indio Gonzalez) and Palmer (Miquel Bordoy) while their boss Julia Brooks (Adriana Ambesi) looks on in Joe Dexter (1965)

Moises Augusto Rocha as Vincey, Randolph’s henchman, anticipating time with Mary Blue once he finishes off Joe Dexter in Joe Dexter (1965)

Trivia:

* This marked the only Spaghetti Western for Katia Loritz and came near the end of her career, which featured appearances in about two dozen films. She died at age 83 in 2015 from lung cancer.

* Conversely, this marked the first Spaghetti for Adriana Ambesi, who was using the stage name Audrey Amber at the time. She’d go on to appear in six Eurowesterns and was one of Sidney Pink’s “The Tall Women” in 1966.

Rosa Biadiu as Miss Parker, the doc’s meddlesome niece and nurse in Joe Dexter (1965)

Katia Loritz as Mary Blue, trying to close the door on an encounter with John Randolph in Joe Dexter (1965)

Adriana Ambesi (Audrey Amber) as Julia Brooks, looking at the bullet that’s been taken from her shoulder in Joe Dexter (1965)

George Martin as Joe Dexter, aka Nevada Joe, questioning one of Julia’s employees in Joe Dexter (1965)